A British Army veteran has opened up about his struggle with getting consistent access to heating and hot water, claiming that despite repeated pleas, his housing provider has continued to disregard his situation. Terry Cyrille, a former medic and cancer survivor living in Acton's Banstead Court in West London, reports enduring persistent issues with his flat. The 55 year old has been so desperate for a resolution that he's had to shell out for hotel stays just to manage infected wounds, which can't be properly cleaned at his residence.

The accommodation, granted by armed forces charity The Stoll Foundation and run by housing organisation L&Q, seems to fall short of expectations. Despite Mr Cyrille's lengthy service record, including deployments to Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq, and the significant monthly service fee of around £275 he pays, basic problems in his flat await solutions. Adding to his woes, Mr Cyrille's health is compromised due to surviving stage four cancer back in 2019, which resulted in a 15-month hospital stay; yet, the subpar conditions at his home persist unaddressed.

Moreover, as he's an indirect resident, he doesn't even hold the privilege of using L&Q’s emergency complaints hotline. "The heating and hot water problems come around every winter," lamented Mr Cyrille. "I didn't have any from January to March. There are many issues with L&Q."

He also stated: "My energy company wrote to me saying my meter was out of date. I had cancer and it has left me with lots of injuries.

"I have a wound and I have surgery every six months. You don't have to be a doctor to know that you need hot water to keep it infection-free, as well as being in a normal, warm home in the winter. I've stayed in hotels and not been paid back for that. I wasn't getting any response. L&Q have been told multiple times by Stoll to put me on the [out-of-hours] system but they have not done so. If I make a call, they ignore it."

Mr Cyrille has expressed his frustration with L&Q, revealing: "I have a wound and I have surgery every six months. You don't have to be a doctor to know that you need hot water to keep it infection-free, as well as being in a normal, warm home in the winter." He also disclosed the financial strain he's faced, saying: "I've stayed in hotels and not been paid back for that. I wasn't getting any response."

The situation escalated as Mr Cyrille pointed out the lack of action from L&Q: "L&Q have been told multiple times by Stoll to put me on the [out-of-hours] system but they have not done so." He lamented the apparent disregard for his concerns: "If I make a call, they ignore it." Mr Cyrille noted that the Stoll Foundation has now stepped in to handle out-of-hours contact since L&Q "refused" to respond to him, mentioning that his heating and hot water issues have been resolved in recent weeks.

However, L&Q insists that as the Stoll Foundation is his landlord, he should direct out-of-hours queries to them instead. Contrarily, the Stoll Foundation disputes this responsibility for reporting tenant issues to L&Q and is contemplating legal action against the housing provider to guarantee that the "vulnerable veterans" they aid receive "the basic services of heating and hot water."

Mr Cyrille didn't mince words about L&Q's treatment of tenants: "They are, essentially, really bad at looking after tenants." He shared the toll the ordeal has taken on his health and well-being: "It has made me ill. I have had infections and ended up in hospital. It has taken time out of my life, being ill. It has set me back a lot." Moreover, he described the impact on his domestic tranquillity: "It has ruined my ability to have a peaceful existence in my own home."

He concluded with a critical observation about the housing provider's ability to evade consequences: "But they get away with it because they are a big organisation so they can take the hit of the fines. They don't even respond to my MP properly, and she has had other complaints from tenants at Banstead Court. L&Q are negligent on such a big scale that I think it should be a parliamentary matter."

Ex-combat medic Mr Cyrill, now working part-time in a government assistance role, reported that his MP, Dr Rupa Huq, has reached out to L&Q but received little in the way of a substantial reply. He also revealed that police officers investigating a theft near his residence were hindered by L&Q's delay in providing CCTV footage for over seven months, resulting in the case being abandoned. Mr Cyrill raised concerns about whether the CCTV cameras, which he funds through his service charge, are even functional.

Having served over 25 years in the Army and retiring in 2021 after cancer treatment, Mr Cyrill is frustrated with the service charges he pays—£67.2p weekly or roughly £268 monthly—for amenities he claims are not provided. He elaborated: "I pay a service charge for the car park, the maintenance on heating and hot water, the out-of-hours calling, the CCTV. All of the things I don't have access to or don't get as a service - or that only work some of the time - I'm paying a weekly service charge for. It's printing free money, basically. When you say, 'I'm not getting this service', they ignore you."

A tenant has expressed his frustration, likening his experience to deception: "It's literally like being conned. You expect to be conned by a dodgy market trader, but not by a big company giving you accommodation whilst you're disabled." He lamented the lack of response from various parties: "They don't respond to police, an MP and a disabled tenant who may have cancer returning."

The tenant continued, highlighting the company's indifference: "They don't respond to anybody. When they do, they just pay the fine and move on - but nothing changes." Emphasising the gravity of the situation, he said: "This is an issue that needs to be dealt with." He also shared his struggles with energy bills and the pressure to replace his meter: "I am getting higher than usual energy bills and letters saying it's a legal requirement to get a new meter, and L&Q are effectively saying: 'You do something about it'."

Health concerns add to his burden: "I have lots of hospital visits as my health has deteriorated. I have to spend lots of time trying to fix things rather than relaxing." The stress of managing his health and work is compounded by housing issues: "It's hard enough just managing my health and going to work, let alone maintaining a decent place to live."

Describing his living conditions, he stated: "It has been really stressful living there. It's not a home to feel safe and secure; it's a liability that's making me feel worse." The situation has led him to seek a move: "It has become so bad I'm on the transfer list to move out." Feeling pushed out, he expressed his dismay: "They have forced me to move out of somewhere which should have been my home."

He noted that the problem extends beyond him: "It's not just me suffering either - all of the tenants in the block are suffering."

Mr Cyrille, facing potential health setbacks, mentioned his efforts to seek resolution through official channels: He says he has submitted two complaints to the Housing Ombudsman, who he says have told him L&Q should be responding to his 'legitimate' complaints despite not being his direct landlord.

David Lewis, executive group director of property services at L&Q, issued an apology to Mr Cyrille, stating: "We're very sorry for the issues that Mr Cyrille has experienced with access to heating and hot water. Whilst L&Q is not his landlord we appreciate his frustrations and are committed to finding a long-term solution to the issues at Banstead Court. We are meeting with Mr Cyrille's landlord, the Oswold Stoll Foundation, to discuss how we can work together to progress this."

A representative for the Stoll Foundation confirmed plans to meet with L&Q to address Mr Cyrille's situation. "We are aware of ongoing issues around unresolved internal and external repairs that Stoll Foundation veterans living at Banstead Court have been facing for some time," they acknowledged. "We disagree with L&Q's assumption that The Stoll Foundation is responsible for raising these repairs with L&Q.

"We are currently seeking legal advice regarding our leasehold agreement with L&Q and will be requesting a subject access request from the organisation before contemplating legal action to ensure that the vulnerable veterans supported by The Stoll Foundation have access to basic services like heating and hot water."